Center post hobby horse



Nov. 30, 1965 E. J. KOLLER ETAL 3,220,726

CENTER POST HOBBY HORSE Filed April 2, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 TTORNE YS Nov. 30, 1965 E. J. KOLLER ETAL CENTER POST HOBBY HORSE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 2, 1963 United States Patent 3,226,726 CENTER PGST HOBBY HQRSE Edward 3'. Keller, Germantown, and Thomas 1. Pierce and Andrew W. Polk, In, Memphis, Tenn, assignors to Wonder Products Company, Collierville, Tenn a corporation of Tennessee Filed Apr. 2, 1963, Ser. No. 270,079 6 Claims. (Cl. 27252) The present invention relates to improvements in resiliently supported hobby horses.

The invention further pertains to an improved support for a riding toy wherein a child rider is seated on the toy body, usually in the form of a horse, in order to experience resilient motion forwardly, rearwardly, upwardly and downwardly. In toys of this type it is advantageous to provide a motion which is pleasant to the child and offers a pleasurable experience or feeling and obtains a rolling, galloping type of motion which simulates the action of an actual live horse so that the child may imaginatively experience riding on a horse. It is important in this type of toy that the child may vigorously enjoy the toy without danger of malfunction thereof such as by the parts becoming detached during operation.

It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide an improved support arrangement emboding elements arranged and coacting so that a resiliently suspended riding toy has an improved rolling and galloping motion.

A further object of the invention is to provide a riding toy animal of the type above described wherein the child can vigorously bounce and move up and down without the parts accidentally becoming detached or moving beyond their permissible range of operation so as to suddenly stop operating normally.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a resilient support for a riding toy wherein an improved arrangement is provided for limiting the upward movement of the toy in a bouncing or a galloping motion.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved toy support for a riding toy utilizing support springs wherein the structure is arranged so that it will not require an excessive number of operating parts and wherein the parts are relatively easily assembled and will operate over a long reliable operating life without attention or adjustment.

Other objects, advantages and features will become more apparent with the teaching of the principles of the invention in connection with the disclosure of the preferred embodiment thereof in the specification, claims and drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view with portions shown in section and with the riding body shown in phantom view, of a riding toy constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged detailed perspective view with parts broken away of the supporting mechanism for the toy; and

FIGURE 3 is another view of the mechanism of FIG- URE 2 showing the relative location of the parts in their lowermost position.

On the drawings:

As illustrated in FIGURE 1, a body 10 such as of a horse which is adapted for riding by a child is supported for resilient up and down and fore and aft rocking, galloping motion. The body is of plastic or wood or other similar suitable material, and for purposes of description may be considered to be a hollow plastic body with a rigid frame 11 therein. The frame has a forward portion extending up into the neck of the horse body 10 with a cross bar 12 which the child grips while riding the horse. The frame includes a central U-shaped tube 13 which has an upper portion 13a with downwardly extending ends 13b and 130. The frame has a shaped seat support 14 extending thereover which aids in supporting the plastic material of the horse body 10 when a child is seated thereon and this construction may be in various forms as will be appreciated by those versed in the art.

The support which permits resilient movement of the body 10 includes a pivotal link 15, FIGURES 13. Fore and aft pairs of coil tension springs 16 and 17 con nect at their outer ends to the ends 13b and 130 of the U-shaped frame member 13.

The upper end of the link is pivotally connected to a bracket 18 which is rigidly secured to the frame 11. A pivotal pin 19 extends through a hole 20 in the link to connect to the bracket 18. This construction permits relative pivotal movement between the link 15 and the bracket 18 so that the frame 11 can shift forwardly and rearwardly due to pivotal tipping of the link 15, and the frame 11 can also pivot forwardly and rearwardly about the pin 19.

The lower portion of the link 15 is pivotally connected by a pin 21 to a piston or plunger 22 which is vertically slidably mounted in a cylinder or chamber member 23. The plunger 22 is tubular and rectangular in shape, having a hollow interior, and fits within the hollow rectangular tubular shaped chamber member 23. The plunger is closely slidable in the chamber member 23 to prevent rotational movement of the body about a vertical axis and to give support to the body 10 in a fore and aft and in a lateral direction.

At the upper end of the chamber member 23 at the forward and rear side are brackets 27 and 28 with openings 29 and 30 therein into which the inner ends of the springs 16 and 17 can be hooked. The springs are thus held in lateral tension to extend substantially horizontally and provide vertical support for the horse body 10.

The entire assembly is supported on a horizontal floor surface by a stand including legs 24 which are bolted into the lower end of the chamber member 23 by bolts, not shown, extending through holes 25. The legs 24 will extend laterally as well as fore and aft in a manner well known to those versed in the art to provide support and prevent the toy from tipping during use.

Coacting with the support springs 16 and 17 to provide a superior motion, and to limit the upward movement of the plunger 22 and therefore of the body 10, a coil tension spring 31 is connected between the body and the base assembly. The base assembly generally includes the legs and the central column with the column in cluding the plunger 22 and the chamber member 23. The spring 31 is connected to the lower rigid part of the stand so that it applies a downward biasing force to the body. More particularly, the spring 31 is connected at its upper end to the pin 21 and has at its upper end a hook 32 which is hooked over the pin 21; A hook 33 at the lower end of the spring 31 is hooked into a spring connector 34. The spring connector is secured to the chamber member 23 such as by being bolted through a hole in the wall of the chamber member.

The plunger has an elongated gap 35 along one side which is aligned with the spring 31 and'with the connector 34 so that the plunger 22 can be moved to its lowermost position without interfering with the connector 34. The plunger will reach its lowermost position, as shown in FIGURE 3, when a maximum vertically downwardly directed bouncing force is applied to the horse body 10 or when the parts are firmly compressed in order to connect the spring 31 at its ends.

To limit the downward movement of the plunger 22, the link 15 is made in an inverted U-shape with the sides 15a and 15b spaced outwardly a sufficient distance to straddle the chamber member 23. Bushings 26 are placed on the pin 21 between the sides 15a and 15b of the link 15 and the plunger 22.

In operation, a child positioned on the horse body will bounce up and down and rock fore and aft obtaining resilient return forces from the fore and aft springs 16 and 17 to give a rocking, galloping motion. .The upward movement of the horse body will be counteracted by downwardly directed biasing force applied by the spring 31, and this force will increase in proportion to the height of the body. Thu-s when the horse body approaches its maximum vertical movement the tension of the spring 31 will increase to an extent to prevent the plunger 22 from lifting out of the chamber member 23. At this raised position of the horse body, the pairs of springs 16 and 17 will of course be inclined upwardly so as to also apply a downwardly directed force. The provision of the spring 31 provides a safety factor in that its tension is such that it prevents the plunger 22 from being lifted out of the chamber member 23 and the tension of the spring 31 is determined by the position of the lower connector 34 and the strength of the spring, chosen so that it will not permit the plunger 22 to be raised sufiiciently to move out of the chamber member 23. The characteristic of the spring 31 is also chosen so that it will permit resilient vertical bouncing movement of the horse body 10.

The spring 31 coact-s with the springs 16 and 17 in applying a yielding downward biasing force for returning the horse body downwardly after it has been thrown upwardly by the springs 16 and 17 when the child bounces his weight on the horse. This provides improved acceleration in a downward direction and improved movement of the horse body. By connecting the spring 31 to the pin 21 it does not affect movement of the link 15. In some structures, the link may be modified or omitted and in some arrangements it may be desirable to connect the spring 31 to the horse body 10 such as by connecting it directly to the frame.

The drawings and specification present a detailed disclosure of the preferred embodiments of the invention, and it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the specific forms disclosed, but covers all modifications, changes and alternative constructions and methods falling within the scope of the principles taught by the invention.

We claim as our invention:

1. A resiliently supported riding toy comprising,

a body adapted to be ridden,

a base assembly for resting on a floor surface having a center body-supporting column,

said column including a hollow plunger member and an elongated vertical guide chamber member slidably receiving the plunger member with one of said members being rigidly supported and the other vertically movable and connected to said body, means resiliently vertically supporting the body on said column for an up and down riding movement of the body,

and a vertical coil tension spring within said plunger connected at its lower end to said one member and at its upper end to said body for applying a vertical limiting biasing force to said body.

2. A resilient support for a body of a riding toy compnsing,

a stand having a base portion and an upright column member,

a connecting means within the body,

said column member having a lower portion connected rigidly upright to the stand and an upper portion connected to the connecting means with one of said portions having a rectangular vertical elongated guide chamber and the other portion having a rectangular plunger slidable in said chamber and having relatively sliding vertical planar surfaces in engagement with vertical surfaces of the chamber so as to be nonrotatable therein for limiting relative lateral movement and rotation movement between the stand and body,

laterally extending fore and aft springs extending generally horizontal between the lower portion of the column member and the connecting means and under tension with the tension increasing with downward movement of the body and connecting means,

and a vertically extending spring connected between the lower and upper portions of the column memher and connected for applying a vertically downwardly directed biasing force to the connecting means and limiting upward movement thereof.

3. A resilient support for a body of a riding toy comprising,

a stand having a base portion and an upright column member,

a connecting means within the body,

said column member having a lower portion con nected rigidly upright to the stand and an upper portion connected to said connecting means,

one of said portions having an elongate chamber and the other a rectangular plunger slidable in said chamber and having relatively sliding planar surfaces engaging the chamber preventing relative rotation of the plunger and limiting relative lateral movement between the plunger and chamber,

laterally extending fore and aft springs extending generally horizontally between the lower portion 'of the column member and the connecting means for affording resilient vertical support,

and a coil tension spring extending within said column member and operatively connected between the base portion and connecting means applying a yieldable downwardly directed biasing force to the connecting means.

4. A resiliently supported riding toy comprising,

a body adapted to be ridden,

a base assembly for resting on a floor surface having a center body-supporting column,

said column including a hollow plunger and an elongate member having a vertical guide chamber slidably receiving the plunger,

means resiliently vertically supporting the body on said column for an up and down riding movement of the body,

and spring means within said plunger and chamber member connected to said chamber member and to said plunger increasing in force proportional to Withdrawal of the plunger from the chamber member and having sufiicient strength to prevent complete withdrawal of the plunger from the chamber member during normal operation limiting the sliding movement of the plunger out of the chamber so that upward movement of the body is limited.

5. A resiliently supported riding toy comprising,

a body means adapted to be ridden,

i1 base assembly for resting on a floor surface having a center body-supporting column,

said column including an upper tubular plunger connected to the body means and slidably received by a vertical rigidly erect guide chamber member guidingly holding the plunger in a rigidly erect position,

means resiliently vertically supporting the body means on said column for an up and down riding movement of the body means,

a vertical tension spring within said plunger connected at its upper end to the body means and at its lower end to said chamber member,

said plunger having a vertically extending slot, and a spring connector positioned in said slot secured to said chamber member and connected to the lower end of said spring so that said plunger slides vertically Without being limited by said connector.

6. A riding toy comprising in combination,

a body adapted for riding by a child,

a stand including legs and a center column with a rectangular hollow vertical chamber therein and a rectangular plunger slidably mounted in said chamher,

a frame for said body having an upper portion and downwardly extending end portions,

fore and aft pairs of springs connected between said column and said downwardly extending frame portion,

a pivotal U-shaped link with the sides extending downwardly and the upper portion pivotally connected to said frame,

said link pivotally connected to said plunger by a cross pin extending between the sides of said link,

said sides of said link separated to straddle said column when the plunger is in its lowermost position with said pin engaging the upper end of the column,

a vertical slot in one side of said plunger,

a spring connector secured within the column in alignment with the slot so that the plunger can move past said connector,

and a vertically extending tension spring having the lower end secured to said column and the upper end secured to said pin.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,218,333 10/1940 Frisk 272-52 3,103,356 9/1963 Heines 27252 FOREIGN PATENTS 624,306 7/1961 Canada.

20 RICHARD C. PINKHAM, Primary Examiner. 

1. A RESILIENTLY SUPPORTED RIDING TOY COMPRISING, A BODY ADAPTED TO BE RIDDEN, A BASE ASSEMBLY FOR RESTING ON A FLOOR SURFACE HAVING A CENTER BODY-SUPPORTING COLUMN. SAID COLUMN INCLUDING A HOLLOW PLUNGR MEMBER AND AN ELONGATED VERTICAL GUIDE CHAMBER MEMBER SLIDABLY RECEIVING THE PLUNGER MEMBER WITH ONE OF SAID MEMBERS BEING RIGIDLY SUPPORTED AND THE OTHER VERTICALLY MOVABLE AND CONNECTED TO SAID BODY. MEANS RESILIENTLY VERTICALLY SUPPORTING THE BODY ON SAID COLUMN FOR AN UP AND DOWN RIDING MOVEMENT OF THE BODY. AND A VERTICAL COIL TENSION SPRING WITHIN SAID PLUNGER CONNECTED AT ITS LOWER END TO SAID ONE MEMBER AND AT ITS UPPER END TO SAID ONE MEMBER AND LIMITING BIASING FORCE TO SAID BODY. 